- Shari -

"So, what do we do now?" (Elin)

"What do you mean? Haven't you got what you want? You can do whatever you want." (Shari)

"We are a team. And right now I want to stay with you. And to be honest, you need now all the help you can get." (Elin)

"What do you mean?" (Shari)

"What do you think? I mean that they know that you two killed Cid!" (Elin)

"H-how? I am sure no one has seen us." (Shari)

"You said it yourself. They sent their men to get you. Do you really think they cannot connect the dots between you not being at your place and Cid dying the same night? And this directly after you returned? Whoever is behind Cid will learn about this and try to make an example of you. And when I'm with you I will learn about them." (Elin)

I stand defeated.

She is right! Damnit! Why can't anything go the way I want?

"And now? They know who we are! All our precautions were for naught!" (Shari)

"What are you saying? They still have no idea what you two are. Our position is quite good." (Elin)

"Good? We are just one call to the guards away from getting busted!" (Shari)

"They won't do this. If they would, they have to relay why they know you weren't at your place that night and give a reason why you would attack them. It is quite unlikely they would expose themselves like this." (Elin)

"Might be, but there is a different problem." (Shari)

"I get you, but there are ways to dodge this." (Elin)

"C-could someone please explain to me?" (Liqu)

Oh yes, she was still there.

"Simple. If there are really nobles behind those criminals, then they don't need an official reason. They simply can assign the guard to harass us. Or more you two since my involvement is unknown to them." (Elin)

"Elin!" (Shari)

"Yes, yes. I already said I would stay with you. Isn't it advantageous for you if you have someone at your disposal they don't expect?" (Elin)

"Nonetheless, this might turn into a very bad situation. If the guard decides to come for us this won't end well. You have heard Liqu. She has already a plan to eradicate this town. And just to mention it, I had different plans than becoming mankind’s enemy number one." (Shari)

"You are a bit dramatic here. And I would say we still have some time. Their organization should be shaken right now. Like this, I don't think they will investigate Cid's death immediately. First, they need to get everything back into order. Find someone to replace him, get those henchmen under control, make sure nothing is stolen. Criminals are such an unreliable workforce." (Elin)

"But sooner or later they will be done and then we're screwed." (Shari)

"It might be that our new friend can help us there." (Elin)

"Huh? Friend?" (Liqu)

"I'm talking about the boy." (Elin)

"The boy? That child is totally terrified." (Shari)

"Doesn't mean it has to stay this way. But I am sure you too have seen his clothes." (Elin)

"Sure, probably the child of some noble or rich person, taken hostage." (Shari)

"Yes, as you say. An important person's child. Someone powerful enough that they had to retort to abduction to make him comply. Now I might be a little optimistic on that matter but I believe such a person would be kinda grateful to get his son back and certainly not on our enemy's side. At least the kidnappers thought so. Like this, the person in question might even overlook certain circumstances, if you understand." (Elin)

That someone can wink so excessively.

"And if we find this person who is opposed to the nobles behind the criminals, you are again closer to your revenge. Or am I wrong?" (Shari)

"Let us call this a pleasant side-effect. It's not as if this isn't in your favor as well if we can get rid of this scum." (Elin)

"Okay, so we need to evade the vast criminal forces of this town, get friends with a child that is in mortal fear of us, and gain the favor of some noble who is more likely to send all the troops he can muster at us when he sees us with his son before we can even say a word. Have I forgotten anything? Do we need to slay a dragon?" (Shari)

"I..." (Liqu)

"Yes I know! You are bad with dragons Liqu!" (Shari)

"You... You talk again with me?" (Liqu)

"Oh you want that I talk with you? Why not? Let's get started!" (Shari)

I look directly at her and she's crumbling under my glare.

In the most literal sense.

"You promised me!!! We had this agreement and you broke it! You told me you wouldn't feed me anything from humans and you did! I thought I could trust you! And this after all I've been through, just because of you! And you still make it worse! Like you always do!" (Shari)

"I, I..." (Liqu)

"Yes, you are sorry! The problem is that I still have to deal with this! Do you have any idea how utterly disgusted I am at myself? You always want to do this linking! Why not now? Here my hand! Want to see how it looks inside me?!" (Shari)

Her gaze is downcast and I guess she's crying.

But I am really angry at her.

Maybe not even because of what she did but rather because she broke her word.

I know that I am a little obsessed with this but if she really wants to stay with me she has to deal with this side of mine.

And yes, I am still going to keep her.

After all, I think it was mostly because she forgot in the heat of the moment.

However, I think she is now really through.

Unsteady she raises her arm.

"If, if, if you want." (Liqu)

"Sigh, no I don't want! If I would now I might drown in a flood of "forgive me"s, am I right?" (Shari)

"Uhh, mhm." (Liqu)

"Liqu, at least, if nothing else: Never lie to me. Never make plans to force something on me. And never again break your word!" (Shari)

"I-I'll try, but it is so difficult. I never had someone. And this with the dissolved humans. I don't know how to do this." (Liqu)

"What is the problem?" (Shari)

"They are the same. Even if I wait a week, a month, even a year or more. After this, I still could have residues from a human inside me. No matter what I do during that time, it will be the same. There is no way to separate it. I cannot change this. But even if you don't want, you were weak. I had to!" (Liqu)

Sadly I can understand her.

In fact, she just told me that even now a part of Chris flows through me and I just can't get it out.

"Okay, you've got a point and I give you that it was a fairly chaotic situation. But don't withhold something like this. You knew about this problem. You knew it and stayed silent. It is one thing if you break your word by mistake, and this is already very bad. But if you all the time planned to do so because it is more convenient, this is much worse." (Shari)

"Sorry, I, I misjudged. I think you have a dissolving disorder. But as long you aren't in danger I won't force you. I try to do better." (Liqu)

So she would force me if I am.

Well, this is an open secret anyway.

"So, do you have anything else to reveal? Something else I need to know you would do if it's necessary? Please be honest!" (Shari)

She looks down.

Struggling with herself.

Then she becomes silent and after a moment looks half-up, muttering quietly:

"I would kill for you!" (Liqu)

"This isn't really something new." (Shari)

"No. I mean, if they ever would really threaten you, endanger your well-being, let even the possibility come up that my time with you ends; then I will kill everyone! No matter who they are or if they are just trying to hinder me, they all will die and no one will survive. Until there are just the two of us." (Liqu)

If I would have touched her I would feel burning determination.

No, burning is wrong.

A flame is a fickle thing, wavering, growing stronger, or weaker.

Dancing with the air.

This was definitive.

A physical force which as a natural law will occur.

Something happens to me, everyone dies.

This is the hard and simple truth.

And reason enough to be distressed.

"Hey, I absolutely don't intend to get between you two. So could I maybe be excluded from this? I mean I am totally supportive here." (Elin)

"Huh, I might not hunt you down, but you should better run. But I am not sure if this would help. I just know that Shari couldn't get hurt by me if I lose control." (Liqu)

"She means that slimes can't dissolve each other." (Shari)

"Okay, but then at least give me a warning, right?" (Elin)

"I will try. Or do you want to become a slime? Then you are safe." (Liqu)

"Liqu!" (Shari)

"I think I will abstain for now." (Elin)

"For now? Not like... forever?" (Shari)

"I have no idea what the future brings. Maybe this might be better than for example end up dying or becoming crippled. There is a wide variety of terrible things which can happen." (Elin)

"Okay, okay. Understood. You keep your options open." (Shari)

"Correct." (Elin)

"Fine then. We better should try to get some rest now. Apparently tomorrow will become a hard day." (Shari)

I am all too sure about this.